Behavioural Economics, Hyperbolic Discounting and Environmental Policy

Cameron Hepburn; Stephen Duncan; Antonis Papachristodoulou

doi:10.1007/s10640-010-9354-9

Environmental and Resource Economics

June 2010, Volume 46, Issue 2, pp 189–206

Behavioural Economics, Hyperbolic Discounting and Environmental Policy

Authors
Authors and affiliations

Cameron HepburnEmail author
Stephen Duncan
Antonis Papachristodoulou

Article

First Online:: 22 April 2010

Accepted:: 02 March 2010

DOI: 10.1007/s10640-010-9354-9

Cite this article as:: Hepburn, C., Duncan, S. & Papachristodoulou, A. Environ Resource Econ (2010) 46: 189. doi:10.1007/s10640-010-9354-9

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Abstract

This paper reviews some recent research in “behavioural economics” with an application to environmental issues. Empirical results from behavioural economics provide a reminder that human behaviour is context-dependent, implying that policy may go awry if based upon models of behaviour which are inappropriate to the contexts in which decisions are made. Recognizing that agents may, in some contexts, systematically make mistakes raises challenging questions about the role of “paternalism” in government policy. The paper considers the research into hyperbolic discounting, and examines the implications for environmental policy. We develop a model of resource management under hyperbolic discounting, which shows that if a planner is unable to commit to a policy, the temptation to re-evaluate the policy in future could lead to an inadvertent collapse in the stocks of a natural resource.

Keywords

Hyperbolic discountingResource economicsTime inconsistencyFisheryClimate changePreference reversal

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Authors and Affiliations

Cameron Hepburn
- 1
- 2
Email author
Stephen Duncan
- 3
Antonis Papachristodoulou
- 3

1.New CollegeOxfordUK
2.Smith School of Enterprise and the EnvironmentOxfordUK
3.Department of Engineering ScienceUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK

Behavioural Economics, Hyperbolic Discounting and Environmental Policy

Abstract

Keywords

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